Chicago Shakespeare Theater Season to Include Hamnet, Brokeback Mountain, and More

Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) artistic director Edward Hall and executive director Kimberly Motes have announced 12 productions for the 2025-26 season, which will include two world premieres, three North American premieres, and six Shakespeare and Shakespeare-adjacent productions.

The North American premiere of Paranormal Activity: A New Story Live on Stage by Levi Holloway (Grey House), inspired by the world of Paramount Pictures’ horror franchise, will run October 15-November 2 at the Yard. In the original story, James and Lou move from Chicago to London to escape their past. The production is directed by Felix Barrett, founder and artistic director of Punchdrunk (Sleep No More). Paranormal Activity is a co-production with Center Theatre Group, American Conservatory Theater, and Shakespeare Theatre Company.

As part of CST and the Royal Shakespeare Company’s ongoing artistic partnership, Hamnet will run February 10,2026-March 8, 2026 at the Yard, launching a US tour. A stage adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s novel, Hamnet is adapted by Lolita Chakrabarti (Hymn) and directed by Erica Whyman. It is about what happens when the plague steals 11-year-old Hamnet from his loving parents, Agnes and William Shakespeare. The RSC’s production originally opened in the Swan Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon in 2023 and transferred to the Garrick Theatre in London’s West End.

CST closes its season with the North American premiere of the new play Brokeback Mountain (May 28, 2026-June 28, 2026 at the Jentes Family Courtyard Theater), based on the short story that inspired the Academy Award-winning film. Adapted by Ashley Robinson, the love story is set in Wyoming 1963, when Ennis and Jack take jobs on the isolated Brokeback Mountain. Directed by Jonathan Butterell (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie), the play is interwoven with original country western songs by Dan Gillespie Sells (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie), performed live.

Click here for more details about the rest of the season.